The past year marked a major milestone in deep submergence operations at WHOI.
Alvin, the nationís only deep-diving, human-occupied
research submersible, completed its 4000th dive during its
40th year of operation. As the sub approaches retirement,
the National Science Foundation announced in August that it
would fund the construction of a new, deeper diving submersible.
The replacement vehicle, expected to be complete by 2008,
will allow researchers access to more than 99% of the seafloor.

As shown on the Cruise Tracks,
Atlantis spent 2004 in the eastern Pacific working
primarily on the East Pacific Rise and Juan de Fuca Ridge.
Knorr operated in the North Atlantic conducting a
wide variety of research from Panama to Baffin Bay and the
Norwegian Sea. Oceanus worked in the western North
Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

In June, after nearly 14 years at the helm of marine operations
at WHOI, Rear Admiral Richard F. Pittenger retired. His legacy
includes major upgrades to the research vessels Knorr
and Oceanus; the 1996 replacement of Atlantis
II by the modern vessel Atlantis; and the 2004
acquisition of a new 60-foot coastal vessel, Tioga.

As the incoming Vice President for Marine Facilities and Operations,
I am developing and managing a strategic plan for the integration
of the Institutionís research fleet with its various undersea
vehicles and ocean observatories. In 2005 I look forward
to working with others at WHOI to implement recommendations
made in 2004 by the Access to the Sea Task Force in areas
such as fleet replacement, development of new vehicle platforms
and sensors, establishment of seafloor observatories, and
improvement of scientific data management at WHOI, both at
sea and on shore.

Robert Detrick (rdetrick@whoi.edu) Vice President for Marine
Facilities and Operations